Approval for Felixstowe dualling

The Felixstowe doubling scheme has been approved by the Secretary of State for Transport.

The £60.4 million scheme will enable up to 47 freight trains per day to run on the branch from Felixstowe, an increase of 14 per day. The work will be completed in summer 2019, with extra passenger trains able to run from December 2019. Network Rail said that additional freight trains will start running from spring 2019 on the route.

A second track will be installed between Trimley station and Grimston Lane foot crossing. Network Rail will deliver the project, and in the coming months will start vegetation clearing ahead of construction.

Network Rail’s Anglia Route Managing Director Meliha Duymaz said: “We’re supporting the growth of the UK economy by enabling more goods to be transported on the railway and reducing the number of lorries on the road.”

Funding comes via the Strategic Freight Network, with Hutchison Ports UK paying a contribution. NR has also submitted a Transport and Works Act Order (TWAO) to close six level crossings as part of the project. A public inquiry will be held next year. Four level crossings will also be upgraded.

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Why not allow Class 88’s to operate to & from Felixstowe as they can run on 25kv overhead as far as Ipswich then switch to diesel to Felixstowe and then turn back to Ipswich and swap back to electric as to continue to it’s freight duties as they are Bi-Mode locomotives.

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Most of the trains from Felixstowe are now routed via Bury St Edmunds, Ely and Peterborough, which is not an electrified route. Onwards from Peterborough, again most of the routes these trains take are not wired either....

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This is not the whole branch that's being doubled, it's about 1.5 miles towards Ipswich only. Then there's 6 mile single track to short of Derby Road station with a section of double track ( a mile or so) then back to single again to Westerfield where it meets the line from Lowestoft. It's a passing loop that's being made so a train can go out of the South or North terminal while one waits to go in. Prior to this they had to wait at Derby Road loop 8 miles along the branch.